Sailors Terrible March.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 April 1910, Page 4

Sailors Terrible March.

TRAMP IN ICELAND

When the crew of the Hull trawler, Thomas Handing, which was wrecked off tJie coast of Icoland, arrived home on Tuesday a thrilling story of their terrible experiences was told.

The trawler struck in tho night during a heavy gale. Some of the men put on lifebelts, and leaped into the sea, hoping to reach the shore. They found that impossible, though all got back to the wreck, with the exception of one. Waves washed across the- deck, driving the crew to the rigging. "While they wore climbing aloft, however, a. deck hand lost his hold as :i wave struck him, jind fell to the dock with a broken leg. The others had a terrible task to hold him up, especially after ainother man had fallen injuring his eye.

The night was bitterly cold, yet for six hours the men hung on for dear life.

After daybreak the mate managed to swim ashore with a lino, and the others by this means reached land. They found the body of the mail who had been drowned while frying to swim ashore, and buried it as best they could on the beach before they set out across the snowcovered marshy district to find the nearest habitation.

They carried the injured deckhand with them as far a.s they could in a hastily improvised stretcher made by fastening boat hooks together, but the men won , so exhausted that, despite his em treaties, they were obliged to leave him at last, placing him in the shelter :if a hillock, after wrapping him in blankets.

Finally after walking all night, tihe crew came on a farmhouse, where they wwo hospitably treated, natives sent for the injured deck-hand, a.nd others to the nearest doctor. Even when they had found food and shelter, however, the crew wen' so overcome by exhaustion and exposure tjhat it was several days before they could leave tho farm.